Simulator questions (GC2 EOL, GC2 vs GCQuad, FSX vs TGC range)

[hunterp12]

Hey everyone. Long time lurker and first time posting as this pandemic shutdown has got me really missing golf (all courses closed here for me). It's come to the point where I'm seriously considering getting a launch monitor to at least be able to hit balls in my backyard and someday build out an actual simulation/practice room once we move to a new house. I just have a few questions:

1. I'm curious if it is still worth it to get the GC2 over the GCQuad. I know the price difference is larger, but I'm worried if they will continue to support GC2 or if there is some sort of end of life for it now that GCQuad has been out for a bit.

2. At first I will mainly just be using the unit to hit some balls in a range type environment. Do you think I could get by with just the unit and connecting to mobile and using the FSX Performance Fitting app to get by for now?

3. Lastly, I do have a gaming PC, but it's all AMD. Looks like FSX might not be able to run on AMD, so if I get a laptop or build out a new Intel PC, is it worth it for FSX, or can I just get the TGC2019 and maybe they have a decent range option?

Maybe later on I will add on club data (HMT or GCQuad addon) and get FSX for improvement numbers, but right now I'm trying to get something simple setup that has the capability of building out once I get the room indoors.

Thanks for all the help and I appreciate this forums existence and expertise!

[Alex Ma]

I believe even the FSX mobile requires FSX license. I recently got TGC 2019 and i had FSX before. Don’t buy FSX. The detailed range data is not worth the $3k. It’s way better experience playing TCG 2019.

[Hubbahub32]

Hey everyone. Long time lurker and first time posting as this pandemic shutdown has got me really missing golf (all courses closed here for me). It's come to the point where I'm seriously considering getting a launch monitor to at least be able to hit balls in my backyard and someday build out an actual simulation/practice room once we move to a new house. I just have a few questions:

1. I'm curious if it is still worth it to get the GC2 over the GCQuad. I know the price difference is larger, but I'm worried if they will continue to support GC2 or if there is some sort of end of life for it now that GCQuad has been out for a bit.

2. At first I will mainly just be using the unit to hit some balls in a range type environment. Do you think I could get by with just the unit and connecting to mobile and using the FSX Performance Fitting app to get by for now?

3. Lastly, I do have a gaming PC, but it's all AMD. Looks like FSX might not be able to run on AMD, so if I get a laptop or build out a new Intel PC, is it worth it for FSX, or can I just get the TGC2019 and maybe they have a decent range option?

Maybe later on I will add on club data (HMT or GCQuad addon) and get FSX for improvement numbers, but right now I'm trying to get something simple setup that has the capability of building out once I get the room indoors.

Thanks for all the help and I appreciate this forums existence and expertise!

hunterp12 I Hope I can share my own limited knowledge with you. Feel free to reach out if you have other questions.
.
1 - I cannot ever see them discontinuing support for the GC2. Those units are sold worldwide to every golf store and fitting center across the planet. Also, it seems to me that they are for different target customers.
2 - If you buy a GC2. Make sure it is the GC2A model. You will need this model to connect via Bluetooth to your phone or iPad. The FSX performance fitting app is free and you do not need FSX to utilize it. It is pretty good for free. It shows a history of shots as well as shot shape and all of the data the unit provides. It will also put it in a table for you to save or keep. You can select and name different clubs to keep everything straight. I believe you can also see the data with an HMT. I however, got my HMT after I already had FSX so I haven't tried the performance fitting app with the HMT. I do remember seeing the data slots empty though because the standard GC2A cannot read club data.
3 - I really enjoy FSX for the range features and skills challenges. When paired with a HMT or Club Data, I have not seen any other way to get clear data with pictures. (Haven't tried the performance app. That might work.) With that said, I prefer the simulator play of TGC far more than the simulator play of FSX. The graphics are better and you get all of the courses you could possibly want with the one time up-front purchase. TGC has a range and it works as a range. However, if you have the club data or HMT, it will not show that info. It will simply show a screen on your GC2 with some of the numbers associated with the club data.

Side note, I am entertaining the idea of upgrading my GC2A+HMT to a GCQuad. Let me know if you would be interested. It has a A136XX serial number. It was purchased from Foresight in December. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions. I certainly don't know half as much as some of the guys on here but I am happy to help with what I do know.

[hunterp12]

Thanks! I appreciate the response and all the info. Any reason you are thinking of moving to the Quad? Do you have to purchase the club addon to get the same features as the HMT offers?

[Hubbahub32]

I do a lot with the special needs in our community and I am moving the launch monitor often. The bigger hitting area and easier package to move is my main reason to change. I would need to purchase the club add on. An additional 4K.

[hunterp12]

Ah, OK. Thanks again for the input!

[AdamV]

GC2 was launched around 2010, so it’s essentially decade old technology, but also pretty damn bullet proof. There may have been some hardware improvements along the way (eg. models came out with Apple connectivity, typically serial numbers starting with an A) but it has been a very stable product for a long time. I think there will always be a market for the GC2, given the lower price point.

The Quad offers integrated HMT, larger hitting area, infrared image capture (rather than replaceable flash), stronger build quality and is generally more precise (fractions of a percent). Better product overall, but a higher price point.

For a while there one big benefit of the GC2 was the ability to use it with other sim software, in particular Jack Nicklaus Perfect Golf and TGC. But with the Quad now able to utilise TGC and JNPG bought by Trackman, that distinction between the two products is smaller.

Really a choice based on what you’re prepared to spend or can afford to pay. Quad might be a little more “future proof” being only three years old, but then technology moves quick. I wouldn’t be surprised if a Quad with Doppler radar attachment came out one day.

Regarding FSX - the graphics quality is certainly pretty average compared with TGC and e6, but some courses are much better than others. That said, the “game play” on FSX is incredibly realistic and the data & range is first class (save for a few bugs here and there). The fitting app is excellent and will certainly do you for a while hitting into a net, worked for me until I built my sim.

[hunterp12]

So it has integrated HMT, but don't you still need to purchase the club data add on to utilize it for the Quad? Thanks for the detailed response!

[AdamV]

hunterp12 ...yep, you need to pay for the HMT license. The hardware will still come with the Quad, but it won’t be activated (they give you 30 days free to trial it).

[hunterp12]

Gotcha. Thanks!

[Alex Ma]

What is the fitting app you guys are talking about? Is it FSX mobile or is it something else?

[Hubbahub32]

If you search FSX or Foresight. It is called the Performance Fitting App.

[hunterp12]

Yeah there are two. One called FSX which looks like the normal FSX range and games, and the other is a Performance Fitting app that, like said, will show a table of output with a little shot shape graph of your shots. Not as in depth as the range, but still able to show the data you'd like to see.

[mthunt]

One of the execs from Foresight posted here the other day saying he has the first ever GC2's come back for clean up and refurb and they work perfectly. I don't see anything changing with them. They are still selling new ones today.

[Drza3]

Is there a way to have the FSX range on a projector screen and the fitting app on a side TV?

[AdamV]

Yep. Dual display setup in FSX, can be a little tricky to setup initially but works well once underway.

Or do you mean the actual iPad app? The clubhead data display on FSX is just as good and more stable.

[Drza3]

Dual display in FSX is all I'm looking for. Good to know, thank you!

[Alex Ma]

So the performance fitting app doesn’t require login?

[Hubbahub32]

Not an FSX login. I think you create one on the spot. Prior to getting TGC and FSX18 I used the app regularly and often without any “foresight account.”